ZiPee Zero Emission Electric Bike

09 Aug 2007

How can you travel around the UK’s cities and pay no public transport fares, no road tax, no insurance, no congestion charge – without even having a driving licence, and all in silence? ZiPee think they have a solution with their electric bike.

It has low running costs, can travel up to 30 miles on a single charge and it can even carry up to two people. You still have the option to pedal – presumably for extra power…

The battery is charged quickly and easily by plugging it in to a normal 3 pin electric socket. You can take out the battery and charge it wherever you go with a charger supplied – it costs only a few pence for a full recharge and Zipee recommends the use of sustainable energy supplier Good-Energy.

ZiPee Bikes say they are the first social enterprise venture with a commercial arm, with the aim of changing individuals’ travel habits in and around London. It’s a small start up company that gets involved in community grass-roots projects and helps change travel lifestyle habits that directly impact on the environment.

ZiPee are proud that the price of their product is much more affordable than some other electric bikes, such as:

• Eco Moped – approximately £1,400

• Vertici Electric mopeds – approximately £1,800

• E-Max Electric scooter – £2,240

• Vectrix – £6,695

In comparison, the ZiPee starts from just £799 (on the road), and comes with a free cycle helmet, rain poncho, back box, tool kit – and a free ZiPee t-shirt! It also includes free delivery to anywhere in London within 24 hours.

However with a maximum speed of 12-15 mph, the ZiPee is not quite as fast as the Vectrix! ZiPee say: “People are always questioning the speed, but in busy urban areas especially in London, you’re only as fast as your next traffic light!”

ZiPee bikes are available now and come in Pinky Red, Deep Blue, City Black and Spacestation Silver.